Whenever mushrooms are in abundance in my fridge, I have two go-to recipes – Two Mushroom Risotto and Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff.  Both use a good pile of the mushrooms up and are enjoyed by everyone.  In fact, one of my beloved’s favourite dishes is Beef Stroganoff, so it’s always one that is met with an even bigger smile than usual.

Pre-slow cooker days (the dim and dark past), this recipe was cooked just ahead of eating.  Nowadays, it’s a slow cooker favourite – put it on in the morning and leave it to bubble and brew along all day.  Using the slow cooker means that cheaper cuts of meat can be used too.

The stroganoff is best served with lots of yummy long pasta – spaghetti or fettucine.  It is also great with rice and an extra dollop of sour cream never goes astray.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

2kg chuck or round steak, cut into thin strips

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

500g mushrooms, sliced

300ml sour cream

Method

Dust the beef in flour, shaking off any excess.  Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan and cook one batch of beef.  Be careful not to overcrowd the pan and ‘stew’ the meat, rather than frying it.  Cook the rest of the beef in batches and place it all in the slow cooker.

Add all the remaining ingredients, except the sour cream.  Cover and cook on HIGH 3-4 hours or LOW 6-8 hours.

In the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir through the sour cream and season to taste.  Serve with pasta noodles or rice.

Serves 6-8

The Klutzy Cook Notes

These quantities are for a large slow cooker – 4.5 or 5.5 litres.  I have also halved this quantity and done it in a smaller slow cooker and it works just as well.

Happy New Year! It’s been a while since I last posted but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking. On the contrary there’s been plenty of culinary delights being prepared and so lot’s of new recipes to share.

The Christmas/New Year break whizzed past and it has been an exciting time for us. Not just because of all the seasonal festivities, but we’ve sold a business, bought a caravan (we’re off travelling in about 6 weeks) and are in the throes of buying a new car (we now need a REALLY big one to tow the van). Plus, with school holidays in full swing there has been lots of playing, crafting, movie watching, swimming and visiting going on. It has truly been a great start to the year.

Anyway, on to the Quick Beef Goulash recipe. This is a great speedy recipe that I’ve made many times and is always well received. It has all the traditional goulash flavours but can be made in minutes. Don’t forget the dollop of sour cream to top it off – yum!

Quick Beef Goulash

Recipe from Super Food Ideas

Quick Beef Goulash

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
500g rump steak, cut into strips
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
200g button mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon ground paprika
400g can condensed tomato soup
400g can diced tomatoes
Parsley, chopped, to serve
Sour cream, to serve

Method

Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in frying pan over high heat. Add half of the rump and cook quickly, stir frying, for 3 minutes or until well browned. Set aside and repeat with remaining meat.

Reduce heat to medium and heat remaining oil. Add onions and mushrooms. Cook until tender – about 5 minutes, and then add paprika. Cook stirring for 1 minute.

Add soup and tomatoes, stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Return beef and juices to the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes or until heated through. Season to taste.

Serve over steamed rice (I used brown rice), sprinkle with parsley and add a dollop of sour cream.

Whether it’s beef or lamb, these days I really do prefer my curries done in the slow cooker. That long, slow cooking process makes a great curry dish and this Beef Curry is no exception.

Every time I’m cooking this recipe, it seems I have people over during the cooking process, and this time was no exception. While we were sitting down to morning tea and chatting, the aromas filled the house and everyone left with the recipe in their hands.

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

Slow Cooker Beef Curry

Ingredients

1kg diced chuck steak
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup Massaman curry paste
4 medium potatoes, cut into quarters
2 large carrots, cut into 3cm lengths
1 cup beef stock

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Dust the chuck steak in flour. Shake off excess flour and cook one third of the beef until browned. Remove and place in the slow cooker. Repeat with remaining beef using a little extra oil if required.

Heat the remaining oil and sauté the onion and garlic until softened. Add the curry paste and cook until fragrant. Transfer mix to the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients.

Cover and cook on High setting for 3-4 hours or Low setting for 6-8 hours.

Serve with cooked rice.

The Klutzy Cook Notes

• Any favourite curry paste can be used – Massaman is a type of Thai curry that includes potatoes and goes perfectly with this dish.
• I have actually sacrificed some meat for extra vegetables in this dish, you can add more meat if you wish.

Please feel free to leave a comment below about this recipe or ingredients.